Question

Topic: Website Critique

Please, Critique My Blog Artographica.blogspot.com

Posted by NatashaChernavska on 5/19/2008 at 11:42 PM ET 250 Points
Hello, everyone

Based on your recent advise I have created a Web Analytics blog on Blogger.com.

https://artographica.blogspot.com/

I chose blogger because it's integrated with Google, and has very nice interface. There is not a big variety of themes, but I have found one close to my original website - artographica.com.

Please, let me know what you think of the blog, how interesting you find the articles, what would you add, what would you remove.

Initially I would like this blog to be an interesting educating resource for small and medium businesses which would help them to make right decisions about their web representation.

Thank you!

Natasha Chernyavskaya
of Artographica.com
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Levon on 5/20/2008 at 12:59 AM Member
    All I have to say is get some pics.
  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 5/20/2008 at 6:54 AM Member
    I agree with Levon, you write about design, but have no graphics and even they type is not graphical. If your intend is to generate business you must be able to show your skills.

    In fact, how the blog looks is more important than what you are writing. As for that, my take is the copy is too long and the subjects could be spiced up.

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/20/2008 at 8:23 AM Accepted
    I agree, more pictures. Show your points with images, and fewer words.

    Where you have link text (https://store.ipevo.com/) make sure the link is active. Instead of asking the reader to click-here, then click-there, bring in the images into your site.

    When do you have a clickable link, make sure that the link opens in its own window, rather than in the same window as your blog (otherwise the reader will leave your site and may not return).

    Fix the typo: "ADDITIONAL RESOUSES"
  • Posted on 5/20/2008 at 9:28 AM Accepted
    Two things to think about.

    1) SEO - get a free SEO and marketing report and make sure you are leveraging your blog for SEO as much as possible

    2) Your URL should not be a free BlogSpot one. Read this article about the common URL mistakes on blogs. You can use the Blogger software if you want, but you should have your blog on your own URL.
  • Posted by Mikee on 5/20/2008 at 12:47 PM Member
    Natasha,

    Having a blog is a great way to get links to your site and drive more traffic to your companies site.

    I agree with some of the comments above. The blog is not too visually stimulating. If the main goal is to generate links to your other site this may not be that big of deal. I see you know about Istock photos by your link. I would add a stock photo in each blog posting.

    The length of the page is a little overwhelming. I would display only a month of postings at a time and let people find the others using the menu.

    Your link to your main site in the Additional Resources (sp?) is not working (it has a typo in the link, missing the "h").

    I would worry about having the ads on both your blog and your website. I do not think that someone offering web design would want ads for other web design companies on their blog or site.

    I hope this helps.

    Mike
  • Posted by Tracey on 5/20/2008 at 4:36 PM Accepted
    Readers like photos, bulleted text and "top 10" or "top 5" lists. Add an RSS feed button in your nav bar so it's easier to find. I'd like to see the About and Contact links in the nav bar too -- you probably want your readers to go to these pages if they want to hire you, so keep it prominent. Check out Problogger and Copyblogger (both blogs) for some great tips. (I am not affilitated, just a reader).

    As you build your blog it would be nice to see things like podcasts, Q&A/interviews, and videos. You might consider adding options to tag in de.licio.us, etc.
  • Posted by jpoyer on 5/21/2008 at 12:26 AM Accepted
    Natasha! Hi how are you -- it has been a while, ay? I like your idea of adding the content from your forum questions here. I have toyed with that very same idea myself on many occasions. Include screen shots of before and after if you can. I think photos are important, esp. you being a web designer lady. :)

    I highly recommend, and this is from experience, that you include your blog in your website URL. This is a great way to continue adding content to your business site and man I wish I would have done that when I fist started. I wasn't actually sure I was going to do it and was just playing, and now I have blog posts that have PR4 associated with them, and I am not adding any of this value to my PR5 company site. I don't even update my company site most of the time (for shame for shame!), and I keep putting off moving my blog to xprtcreative.com because of hassle for money, hassle for 301 redirects and blah blah blah. I have not been on this board for many months due to time, and I just made it harder for myself by not putting my blog site in at my company site to start with.

    Anyway - I think it looks nice, and it matches the feel of your site. Keep writing. I hate writing and no one posts comments, but I'm writing just the same, and every day my traffic increases from search terms sending people to relevant pages on my blog. It's pretty cool that way.

    ok, well... good job. I like the look, I think it matches your personality of your site and it all feels nice and pleasant.

    See you around the forum!

    Jennifer P.
    XPRT Creative

    :)
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